U MN

COL Lessons of the lead-out #46 ■■■■■■■■■ Lessons: a thing learned by experience. Lead-out: the work done by domestiques of sprint specialists that helps ensure he’s fresh and ready to win… He was a ‘kilo’ rider in his youth, a points race representative at the Olympic Games and a former team-mate of a dual green jersey winner at the . Now is recognised as the best lead-out man in the business.

After the Tour de France, I had a couple of events that the giving up everything to help win. Sometimes Specialising in team still wanted me to do. First there was the Vattenfall it would be nice to take a victory for myself but this is exactly road, track, Cyclassics in Hamburg and then the Eneco Tour in the the role I wanted to take. I’ve carved out my place in the peloton Netherlands and Belgium, but I was basically to stop after that. and now I get to work with the best in the world. single speed By then I had tallied up 86 race days already. That’s a pretty There are plenty of rewards that come from that too. good block of racing. At the start of the year I did quite a lot of We’ve done a lot of training to specifically work on that last bikes and work and it was in some big races where the team had big kilometre of the race. ‘Cav’ takes a lot more of a back seat on accessories for objectives. We met them. Each one went well and I’d been the two-way radio and organising the team. I don’t mind this getting tired so I was told, “Shut it down. Save yourself for next because I like to step up and take some responsibility. Basically, over 21 years. year.” It’s not a bad option. I’m now calling the shots for Cav. That gives him an easier ride Of course it’s great to have a break, but it doesn’t take long – although it’s not like he needs it – and I can call it a lot better before you begin to consider the next season. In 2010 it will be from the second-last wheel. Then it’s up to him to just hold my enshaw For twenty one pretty much the same for me again, even though there have wheel. It’s not often that I’d even check back to see how he was years, Hillbrick been a lot of changes in the Columbia-HTC team. Some of the going, especially not after a couple of months, because it all Custom hand built

R Bicycles have older guys are leaving which is pretty normal. The recruitment became so instinctive. PHOTO: Graham Watson job in recent years has been pretty amazing – to get that amount These days the speed has increased a lot in the last section. been designing I’ve done some sprints against Cav in training. We’re toe to of talent in one team is impressive – and it has a lot to do with It’s more consistently fast in the finale and it’s not very often and building bikes toe for the first 15 to 20km/h increase – from say 20 to 40km/h why we won so many races. It’s always going to be hard to keep that anyone backs off in the last kilometre. Okay, there were – but once he gets to 40km/h he starts to pull away from me. for the elite that together. Bob Stapleton would need to double the budget to some examples in the Vuelta a España when a couple of guys I’ve lost a fair bit of my top-end speed just because I’m training through to the keep riders of that calibre and we just can’t expect that. did big turns about three kilometres out, but then there would for the lead-out and the objective is not to kick Cav off the recreational It’s a shame to know George Hincapie won’t be part of the be a lull when the sprinters looked at each other to see who was wheel. It’s all progressive for me. But you can tell once you get team any more but we’ve got some youth coming in which is going to take responsibility. In the Tour, there’s none of that. cyclist. to 40km/h that he is that much faster. And it’s not that he’s exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing how Leigh Howard From 600m out I’m doing a full sprint. I’ve got Hincapie in The current range putting out more power, it’s the size of him. Over 40km/h it goes; he’s taken a similar path to me in reaching the elite level. front of me and he’s doing the same. There’s never a step off in of bicycles utilis- starts to make a difference. He is the same kind of rider I was when I was his age. the speed which would allow other guys to move up. In the es the latest in Leigh has the sort of speed that can win him a wheelrace or Tour, at one kilometre to go, if you’re fifth wheel you’re more Each time your team wins a stage of the Tour de France it’s a material and mark a ‘kilo’ but then he had to change and move over to the than likely going to stay there. At the speeds we’re travelling, moment to savour. This year, thanks to Cavendish, we got to design technolo- endurance events on the track. The leap into pro road racing is there’s no one who can move up any more. experience this feeling six times but for me the highlight would, Road going to be an interesting one. He’ll probably do it tough. I In the fastest stage of the Tour we hit 73km/h at the finish. obviously, have to be Paris. We won the final stage so well and gy, raising the laugh while reminiscing about when I made the change from On the Champs-Elysées I think I maxxed out at about 68km/h. I celebrated coming second without even caring if anyone came standard of track to road. I can only compare it to what I went through in I went from exactly 500m to go which is the second-last turn, past. Cav was so dominant. That was an outstanding day. The recreational bikes my early years – that was hard! But he’s proven how versatile the left one, and I had an average power output of 1,200 watts performance was so commanding. I nailed my job. to competition he is and once he adapts to the style of riding, he’ll be good. for around 40 seconds for the time I was in the wind coming I told George where he had to get me to. I asked him to drop levels. On the track – and for the endurance events in particular – towards the finish. That’s good power for that distance. me off on the corner coming off the Rue de Rivoli and onto the you’ve got to have a lot of punch. He’s going to lose a bit of that If I put my power chart up against Cav’s, it’s clear to see Place de la Concorde, and it was my plan to come underneath Many champion when he makes the move to the road but I think he’ll adapt. My how beneficial it is to be following someone when you’re going him. But I didn’t think I’d have the power to get to that next cyclists have first few seasons were difficult but things are working out well that fast. Obviously, when he is on my wheel he’s saving a lot of right-hander – actually onto the Champs-Elysées – still in the used Hillbrick for me now and this year was definitely a turning point. Getting energy. First of all, he’s about half the size of me when he gets seat, without having to step on the pedals 100 per cent. We Bicycles and out of French teams was a major step and I’ve come into one of down low so he’s probably putting out 500 or 600 watts less took that corner without braking and then I went as hard as I products than what I’m doing when he’s on my wheel. That makes a big could. To me, it was a one-off ride that just happened to be on throughout their difference. And it gives him the cue to really light up the sprint. one of the days that really mattered for the team. Cav makes my job easy. He is pushing about 25 per cent less wind Usually, when he steps off after my turn is finished, he can pick Everyone was focused that day. But beside that, there were careers. than Thor Hushovd. In a straight line you can’t compare the two it up two or three kilometres an hour. other examples. Tactically, the final stage wasn’t our best ride Single Speed because, with the size difference, Mark has the advantage. Thor can It’s not fair to consider what sort of wattage Cav is putting of the Tour. I believe stage 10 to Issoudun was the best display out when he’s winning; usually he gets to shut it down so early of how to dominate in a sprint. That was the day we had a few CATALOGUE put out a lot more power but he’s dragging a lot more wind. that he doesn’t really peak as he crosses the line. He is putting corners and a slight uphill, and Cav won by about 50 metres… out about the same kind of power as me but he’s about four I’d say that was the best ride of the Tour de France. I went the best teams in the world, which helps. kilos lighter. I don’t want to give away too much but his underneath George and there was a succession of turns, and OUT “ We’ve got everything at our fingertips at Columbia-HTC. aerodynamics are a huge factor. once Cav was in the wind there was only 200m to go. The equipment is amazing and the team support – on and off Being able to work with someone who can hide so well is a We knew that it stepped uphill slightly. We took a couple of NOW the bike – is superb. It’s also great to have a good” bunch of guys great advantage. Cav makes my job easy. If he’s on the wheel those turns super fast and you could see this is what popped Phone or email to work with. That’s what really makes us shine. and he’s saving a lot of energy, then it’s obviously better for me. Thor off the wheel about three or four guys back and it hurt us to receive a I don’t think I’m going that much better than last year, when At the moment he’s doing it so well. He knows he’s only got to him just to get back on. That was another highlight. I was with Crédit Agricole, but the environment and the group follow me which makes things relatively simple. It’s a shame that Mark lost the green jersey. I actually think brochure of the of guys around me have brought me up a level. I’ve progressed He is pushing about 25 per cent less wind than Thor he should have won it, but I’m still really good friends with 2009 product with strength – that’s something I’ve really noticed. It’s normal Hushovd. He’s about a quarter smaller than Thor. In a straight Thor. We’re still close and we train a lot together and everything, range that this happens; you get better every year but, in the Tour line you can’t compare the two because obviously, with the size so it’s hard for me. Obviously I’ve got a good friend in Thor and especially, it was a highlight. I faded a little in the Giro d’Italia difference, Mark has the advantage. Thor can put out a lot then I’ve got Cav who is a team-mate and also a good friend. Track but by the Tour it felt like I had more power. I managed to step more power but he’s dragging a lot more wind. The green jersey provided a lot of stress. At the start we said For more information or your nearest dealer: up and produce a few good rides. I basically only had one bad Of course, there’s the temptation to see who is quicker when that we wouldn’t make the green jersey an objective, that we’d day out of the whole three weeks and that’s quite pleasing. we’re out training. We have a bit of a play around. We had see how it progressed. Halfway into the Tour you could see that The last two years I’ve sacrificed a few of my personal goals some sprints at one of my first training camps with the team Cav started saying, “Now it is an objective and we do want to 02 9820 4011 and changed my style of riding to become a lead-out specialist. back in December. You can’t put sprinters against each other win it”. But it’s definitely a lot harder if you set out from the It’s a great role but you cannot afford to be at all selfish. I’m and just ‘train’, it always ends up being a competition. start with that as a goal. n hillbrick.com.au

152 #46